What to do in Brussels?

Question

Thinking of visiting my mate next month after he starts his new job in Brussels. Anything interesting to do there in the day time ? What's the night life like?

Answer 1

Beautiful old tourist centre with stunning medieval square. Atomium. Good cultural/ art spots. Brilliant shopping facilities. Lots of nightlife/ retaurants/ bars. The Belgians know about good food and beer. Chocolates to die for. Cheerful and friendly natives. Cheap and efficient public transport. This year is "The year of Europe" in Brussels. You should have a very good time.

http://www.brusselstourism.com/
http://www.visitbelgium.com/

Answer 2

Brussels could be the capital of Belgium and is the key seat of the Belgian Royal Family and, also the capital of the European Union and if you intend to know it then here is the place hotelbye . Brussels is an amazingly small, easy-going, and human-sized town for all their importance. Unlike anthers town making use of their hordes of tourists, Brussels is Belgium's major economic and educational center, which provides the town a more workaday feel than different towns. Here, in Brussels, if you would choose to see, you will receive a proper experience for Belgian living, particularly its amazing cafe and café culture. Even though Brussels may possibly not need the star attractions of different Belgian areas, the capital has ample to help keep visitors occupied for a couple of days with a clutch of world-class museums and artwork galleries, in addition to quirkier views including the Atomium, and some great remnants of previous structure in the old town quarter.

Answer 3

Brussels is a pretty cool city actualy (contrary to popular belief!). Great food (obvioulsy the Mussels are amazing) and some really nice bars. The Euro park is worth a visit during the day. A MUST however, is chilling out in the Grand Place watching the world go by. Local beer is great - check out the bar below - apparently one of the best bars in the world

Answer 4

As you might have heard already... Try the beer! Belgium has the finest food & beer in all of the world!

Daytime attractions are: the grand place, the atomium (It HAS been restored last year), Manneken Pis, le Sablon, the flea-market at Les Marolles, the incredible fine arts museum, the royal palace, the St Hubert Galleries (really posh!)...
The museum of musical instruments is in the most beautiful art nouveau building you'll ever see, and it has a restaurant/bar on the roof which gives a great view on Brussels. Plus, you don't have to visit the museum to go to the bar.
The view at Place Poelaert (Marolles) is great too!

But you already have a lot of daytime answers, I'll give you a nightlife one. Bars are what I prefer in Brussels, really...

It depends all on what you like... Lounge bars, dancing, just a smoke and a drink?
Close to the Grand'Place it's mostly gay bars... I'll name you some bars at a 5min walk. Alright? :-)

You can't go wrong when you go to the bars around the "Place Saint Géry". They're all very nice and trendy, but not too posh. I especially like "Le Roi des Belges" and "PP café". They're both kind of jazzy.
And in Café Central there are often parties with DJ's. You'll find everything you need. Including a great tapas restaurant. (It's not too expensive and fingerlicking good.)

When I'm with my boyfriend, I like to go to "Au Soleil" at the marché aux charbons. It's calm and cosy, in a street with lots of trendy shops. Actually... there's a boudoir style lingerieshop right next to it! But, be careful, the shop's really expensive. The bar is not.

If you want to go dancing, there's a really small loungy club at the Rue d'Anspach called "The Wax Club". I don't go there a lot, but the parties I've been to were great! You can easily miss the entrance, because it's the club is on the first floor.
A bit livelier is "Dali's bar" at Rue des bouchers. It's dark, the music's loud and they have sofa's shaped like mouths...
You like it or not.
The best club in Brussels is called Mirano Continental. It's really cool and has a very hard door policy.

If you want something different, go to "Goupil le Fol" in Rue de la violette. The place looks like a flea market and they only play french chanson. I don't really know what to think of it. I usually don't go there, because drinks are expensive.

L'Archiduc in the Rue Dansaert WAS Brussels Art Deco pride, but it has become a bit rundown in the last couple of years. I went there last week and decided not to go anymore...

Right next to the Bourse, there are two more bars that are a bit like the St Gerybars: El Metteko and Les Belges; and there are 2 great art nouveau taverns: Falstaff and Cirio. Really empressive. Cirio is my favorite. The food is great, not too expensive, the place looks wonderful and the waiters are elderly men in suits. :-)

That's about the first bars that come to my mind. If I think of anything else, I'll add it.
Stick with the Saint Géry bars, that's my advice. There's over 20 different bars in that area.
And enjoy yourselves!

Answer 5

Try visiting one of the world's best museums, the Palais de Beaux Arts. If you like antiques, go to Saturday morning open market at the Petit Sablon Square. There are many more antique shops if you continue down the streets in the same area. Then go to Grand Place where there are many nice buildings, lace shops and the pissing boy fountain. The forest of Soignes is 25KM long and there are many walking paths in it. It starts in the city! The wonderful Natural History Museum in Tervuren is only half an hours drive from the city. Don't forget to eat mussels!

Answer 6

Hi. Brussels is a marvelous place with many fine buildings, art museums and historic places. You would be hard pushed to see them all in a week. You can find their addresses and contents by looking on the internet.I personally visit as many pubs and bars that I can stagger to and from - there's hundreds of them, and dozens of different beers. The night life is fairly lively, but toping in a bar is more my style.
Regards
Bill

Answer 7

For Brussels there is the touristy area around the Grand Place and many overpriced seafood restaurants. You could see the Manekin Pis (and then say "is that it ?!!" as most people do).

But, I would avoid all of that and get on a train to Antwerp or Ghent. Much better to immerse yourself in the local culture, food and beer.

Answer 8

Plenty of interestings stuff to see and visit, thers the famous wee boy Maniken pis as Mojo said I was there in my army days we were sent there on inititive test. I was based in Essen, west Germany at the time.,anyway we ,my friend ,another soldier, had to bring back a programme from theatre "De La Monie?" to prove we had been and back, thats another story. Anyway we managed this eventually, also to find History of the said Maniken Pis.., we went to the town centre looking for a great big Monument only to discover he had been allocated a small place on a dyke down aside street ,going on a bit but your question just brought it all back in aflash and that was over 50 yrs ago, not bad mem, eh? Anyhow the nightlife, then was magic plenty of erything to amuse and interest you......Hows that cheers.

Answer 9

i did a job there for a few days, part of that was to go all around the place on the back of a motorbike. there's some nice sites, defo get some chocolates, visit the microbrewerys which are all over the place (some nice beers, try wheatbeer or weisbaer), the main square is nice. i'd love to go back! i keep meaning to take the misses.

Answer 10

The bird markets if you like that kind of thing. The atomium is worth a visit. Night life has probably change since I was last there 20 years ago.